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Wat Chiang Man – An Mesmerizing Wat With Astonishing Gardens!

The Northern Thai city of Chiang Mai has a number of beautiful Buddhist temples or Wat and the Wat Chiang Man is one such Wat that is found within the old city limits, since it is within the moat or city walls of the old city of Chiang Mai. This Wat was not a part of my Thailand travel itinerary and my Tuk-Tuk driver is the one who actually took me there saying it was a very auspicious temple and that I should pray there.

Built in 1297 AD this Buddhist temple was the first temple to be built in the old city of Chiang Mai by the Lawa people and was used as a camp by King Mangrai during the construction of his new capital, the present city of Chiang Mai. I reached the temple at 9:00 AM on a beautiful day and was in awe of the beauty and architecture of this magnificent temple and its glorious garden which exudes a rare sense of serenity.

Wat Chiang Man | Image Resource : wikimedia.org

I was almost at the end of my Thai adventure and I wanted to make maximum use of the last days, this Wat was worth it and I’m glad my Tuk-Tuk driver took me there and made sure that I visited this gem of a temple. The main sights of this temple is the ‘Elephant Chedi’ which is a square base that supports second level and fifteen life sized elephants coming from the base creates an illusion that all fifteen of them is supporting the upper or second level. The ‘Elephant Chedi’ is one of the oldest and most religious sites of the temple.

Elephant Chedi | Image Resource : panoramio.com

The temple also has one of the most beautiful gardens I have ever seen; it has a various collection of floras and is well maintained too. The gardens and the temple itself is very picturesque and I remember I was clicking away freely for a long while. The serenity and calmness this temple and its gardens exude is wondrous and would definitely bring a smile of peace on anyone’s face. So if you ever plan to visit the Thailand you should add this temple to your travel itinerary.